It’s a universal truth that good things come to those who wait. All the best things in life are an acquired taste. How can you truly appreciate the triumph of a last-minute winner without first sitting through a slew of boring 0-0 draws? To reach the wondrous relief of a cathartic cold beer after a hard day at work, you must first gag your way through warm cans as a brave-faced teenager. And I refute that anyone enjoyed their first delicious olive. The same can be said for the world of music—not every masterpiece knocks your socks off from the first listen. Just ask Eric Clapton.
The guitarist loves two things that initially appear to be opposing: the blues and complexity. However, as Clapton explains, it’s not as paradoxical as it first seems. All he’s really after is soul with depth. However, that doesn’t always immediately grab you, and the bluesman singled out two stars who require repeat listens for you to truly appreciate their records.
The first grower he singled out was Mark Knopfler. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 1991, he said, ”Mark Knopfler, I think, is totally unique. He’s a great craftsman, which brings it back to that. I mean, with Dire Straits, if you listen to any of their albums the first time, it sort of goes by you a bit. Then gradually it just gets better and better, and it stands the test of time. They’re fantastic craftsmen.”
In truth, that’s what art is all about, particularly when it comes to music. If, as research suggests, you listen to a favourite track thousands of times in your lifetime, then what does it matter if it takes a few listens to click? In fact, surely it is better for a song to still be revealing itself to you after endless listens.
But it is not just Knopfler and his noted originality that excels on this front. “Sting has that same quality,“ Clapton commented. “Soul Cages was exactly the same thing for me. I liked it the first time, but it was a bit esoteric. Then it grew and grew. For a period of time, it was all I listened to, over and over again. I would listen to it in my car on a CD cartridge. Along with Mozart, and Puccini, and the Band and Muddy Waters. And it stood up on its own, amongst all those other classic things.”
Clapton failed to offer any explanation for why the two artists he deemed timeless growers both grew up a matter of miles apart in Newcastle, but he offered a hint of insight into why their appeal sustains by virtue of artists who represent the inverse. ”To me, music is either good or bad if it makes me feel something. If it doesn’t make me feel anything, I’m just indifferent to it,” he said. Adding, ”Like Madonna is a phenomenon that I recognise, but she doesn’t make me feel anything. I can’t identify with her on any level, because all she is, is production and packaging.”
Dire Straits notably avoided any external packaging to their detriment. The group have never been considered the coolest cats in town, shirking showbiz and the trappings of fame in favour of comfortable jumpers and sensible footwear. However, their peers have always recognised how Knopfler honed his guitar playing to such an nth that he’s not even imitable because he is so unique.
